Restoration
Most parlor reed organs require the following work:
1. Bellows and Reservoir are covered with a rubberized cloth that needs to be replaced.
2. Replace Leather flap valves on the bellows
3. Replace gasket on chest base
4. Replace all leather and felt on shutters and stops
5. Replace worn bushing felt on stop knobs, linkage and key bed
6. Clean reeds - replace nonfunctioning ones - minor tuning
7. Replace felt and leather on pallet valves
8. Level Keys
9. Repair minor cracks, clean and refinish soundboard
10. Replace pedal straps and carpeting on pedals
The cost of a general restoration averages around $1500. The end cost depends mainly
on the condition of the organ and how many sets of reeds it has.
Most Parlor organs have
2 sets, some times 3 or a extra half set and/or what's called a Sub Bass, a set of 13
large reeds in a box mounted in the back of the organ.
Condition is the most important factor in the end cost. In the best of conditions the passage of time mainly effects the
rubber coated cloth that covers the bellows. Over a period of time this material becomes hard and
brittle and will need to be replaced in every case. Pests,such as a mice, moths. and mud
dobbing wasps and can totally destroy an organ. Mice chew up the delicate wood parts
inside and their leavings can corrode the brass reeds, springs and screws. The lazy Mud-dobber
Wasps are always in search of anything with nice holes to lay their eggs so they don't have to build an entire nest
from scratch. The rows of many reed cells,(A)provide an I deal place for them to start a colony. The damage they do is not
so severe, but it does take a great deal of time to clean out all the dry mud. This infestation can easily be
prevented by keeping all the stop knobs pushed in. This closes the shutters to the reed cells. in the reed cells thn
Exposure to high or extreme changes in humidity can cause cracks in the sound board. Most cracks under 1/16" are easy
to repair. Larger or multiple cracks can be signs of two serious problems. The most common
and repairable is when the glue joints have broken between the soundbord and its base frame.
Large cracks in the sound board is an indicator of the most severe situation; when the reed chest to become seperated from the sound board.(B)
Whether or not this can be repaired depends on two things; how clean the break was and if the
corresponding slots in the sound board are still in allignment with the reed cells.
Reed organ pumps are constucted of either solid or 3 laminate type of plywwood an solid boards.
Plywood tends to delaminate if exposed to humidity. Minor delamination is usually repaired but more serious cases warrents fabrication of new section.
Pump sections of solid wood(pine ussually)tend to warp or crack at the glue joints particularily the sections that compose the reservior.
These boards are under great tension due to the springs inside the bellows unit which cause the boards to splay out.
I do not replace warped boards unless the impare the proper operation of the organ.
